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There is one very distinct racial group in Hamilton county. It is a colored settlement, located slightly west of the north-central part of the county, about twelve miles northwest of Noblesville, the county seat. It consists of a group of colored families, each living on farms of their own, some of which are, from point of size, just as they were when settled one hundred years ago.
The settlement was made in September, 1837, in the heart of the forest, by several negro families, as follows: John Roads; Micajah Waldron; Bryant Waldron; Harry Winburn; Dolphin and Stephen Roberts and Hansel Roberts; Edmon Hurley; George Sweat; Jonathan Roberts; Lewis Winburn; and Joe White. All were colored, all owned their homes and farms, and the settlement was given the name of "Roberts Settlement" because that name predominated.
This settlement is most outstanding because it is the only colored group in central Indiana, and perhaps the only one in the State who made their settlement in the woods, far from any town. They came from South Carolina to Rush County, Indiana, and after a short stay, they came to Hamilton county. They cleared the forests, built their cabins, built their Wesleyan Methodist church, and erected a school building.
For several years they paid a white teacher to teach their schools but later obtained the services of Addie Knight, a colored lady, to teach. Miss Knight is still living in the settlement. The school was abandoned in 1914, because there were no longer enough colored children in the settlement to continue the school. Most of them were transfered to the township schools. Most of the children from the school are married, raised large families and now have grandchildren living in Noblesville.
In the early days of the settlement, the church was the center for all festivities, the place where all disputes were settled, as well as their house of worship. In winter time, they held old time colored meetings, or revivals, lasting from five to eight weeks, both day and night, and white folks were always welcome. Each year, they hold "get together meetings" in this old church. Colored folk from far and near come there, tell over and over again stories of by-gone days. They have good speakers and great feasts.
The first colored girl born in Hamilton county was Nancy Roberts, daughter-in-law of Stephen Roberts, a pioneer of that settlement. Nancy is still living and is now nearly eighty-eight years old. She enjoys good health and a keen memory of the early days in the settlement, and loves to relate the hardships of that time. She tells of the time when she was a baby, too little to walk, and how her mother would lay "Little Nancy" in a fence corner, on the ground, while the mother split rails to fence in the farm. She tells of her school days in the settlement, of the revivals at the church, and best of all, she tells of the weddings of the colored folks. In the early days, all weddings were held in their church and were public to all in the settlement. All were invited and everyone came. They would assemble at the church in the morning and after the wedding ceremony, which was performed very much as they are now, a big dinner was given to all and the afternoon was one of enjoyment.
Nancy now lives alone in her own home in Noblesville, looking forward to the next annual "get together meeting" to be held in that little old church at the settlement.
Rose, Katie 412 Sumner Street Evansville, Indiana (Lauana Creel Vanderburgh County)
